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Surround Sound System ReviewsBookshelf Speaker Reviews
Pioneer Elite SP-EBS73-LR Speaker System Review
Mark Fleischmann  |  Feb 12, 2015

Performance
Build Quality
Value
PRICE $2,500

AT A GLANCE
Plus
Dolby Atmos–enabled monitors
Laser-like focus from coaxial driver array
Minus
Just-average subwoofer performance

THE VERDICT
Andrew Jones’ excellent Atmos-enabled speakers are equally at home in a 5.1-channel footprint as they are transforming surround sound as we know it.

Dolby Atmos bids to change the landscape of surround sound at home. One thing it has already changed is my mind.

I am that 5.1 guy. I’ve spent much of my tech-writing career promoting the standard 5.1-channel speaker configuration and defending it against all comers. This has pitted me against two-channel loyalists who mistakenly believe there is no such thing as a surround audiophile. But I’ve also opposed what I deem to be useless additions to 5.1.

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AV Receiver Reviews
Pioneer Elite VSX-52 A/V Receiver
Mark Fleischmann  |  Dec 05, 2011

Audio Performance
Video Performance
Features
Ergonomics
Value
Price: $900 At A Glance: Elite build quality • AirPlay, control app, iDevice USB • Great sound for under $1,000

Do you prefer wine sold in a box or in a bottle? Boxed wine does have its advantages: It’s available in a greater variety of package sizes, it’s easier to carry to a picnic, and the lighter packaging reduces manufacturing cost, shipping cost, and carbon emissions. Yet most oenophiles prefer bottled wine for quality and selection. One is more practical, the other more aspirational. In theory, boxed wine can be as good as bottled wine—and here, as the knowledgeable oenophile is aware, our metaphor is in danger of breaking down over warring factors such as oxidation and shelf life. But in reality, the best wine producers and their most discerning and passionate customers prefer the bottle.

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Ears On
Pioneer Gets Off the Plasma Bus -- Your Thoughts?
Mark Fleischmann  |  Mar 07, 2008
Today Pioneer announced that it would stop manufacturing plasma panels. The company will continue marketing plasmas, probably using panels made by Panasonic. So maybe this isn't exactly the end of an era for the fabulous Kuro plasma line. Still, the news sent a chill through Kuro fans. Do you own a Pioneer Kuro? If so, what do you think of it? And while we're at it, which do you like better in general--plasma or LCD?
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Audio Video News
Pioneer Goes LCD
Mark Fleischmann  |  Sep 26, 2008
Pioneer, best known as a maker of plasma TVs, is also planting a foot in the LCD camp. The company already sells 32- and 37-inch LCD sets in Europe. Soon it will launch them in North America and Japan, according to JCN Network, a Japanese business news outfit.
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Audio Video News
Pioneer Leaves the TV Business
Mark Fleischmann  |  Feb 12, 2009
Pioneer will stop manufacturing TVs and withdraw from the TV business altogether by 2010, according to a notice (PDF) that appeared today on the company's Japanese website. This confirms a report that surfaced in the Japanese business press a few days ago.
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Audio Video News
Pioneer May Stop Making Plasmas
Mark Fleischmann  |  Mar 04, 2008
Pioneer, one of the leading names in plasma, may stop manufacturing plasma panels. However, it would still market plasma sets, sourcing the panels from Panasonic. So say Japanese press reports anticipating an announcement to follow at the end of this week. The report originated with the Japanese news organization Nikkei and was picked up by both Reuters and the Associated Press.
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Audio Video News
Pioneer Once Again a TV Maker
Mark Fleischmann  |  Mar 25, 2014
In a surprise announcement, Pioneer revealed that it will re-enter the TV manufacturing arena. No, it won’t resume building its world-beating Kuro plasmas. But it will make LED-backlit, 1080p, Wi-Fi streaming sets of 55, 46, and 40 inches. Dixons Retail has an exclusive agreement to develop and sell Pioneer TVs in European markets through Currys & PC World stores. No word on whether Pioneer would resume making TVs for North America and other markets. Pioneer quit the television business in 2009 and licensed its Elite TV brand to Sharp in 2011.
Audio Video News
Pioneer Plasmas Blacker Than Ever
Mark Fleischmann  |  May 09, 2008
Plasma increased its black-level edge over LCD this week as Pioneer showed off the latest generation of Kuro products. Also announced at the New York press event were Pioneer's first front-projector, two new Blu-ray players, and four new receivers.
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Audio Video News
Pioneer Pumps Up Blu-ray to 400GB
Mark Fleischmann  |  Jul 11, 2008
Pioneer has announced a 400-gigabyte Blu-ray disc. Needless to say, this technical breakthrough will be limited to the lab for some time.
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CEDIA 2011
Pioneer Quantifies Class D Power Savings
Mark Fleischmann  |  Sep 09, 2011
To dramatize the efficiency of its two Class D receiver models, Pioneer hooked up one of them to a meter that monitored power consumption in real time as compared to a Class AB model. At left is the Class D SC-57. At right is the Class AB VSX-1021-K. Though rated for more watts, the SC-57 sucks up less power. Pioneer also showed three new Blu-ray players ranging from $199-399 and made a point of saying they are built to last, unlike all too frequently disposable competitors.
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